'I just decided it was time'

Sen. Robert Antonioni REGION - If asked, Robert Antonioni is happy to reminisce about his 20 years in the State Legislature. But only for so long, because the future calls.

Last week, the Democratic senator from Leominster, who has represented Sterling for 17 years, and who before redistricting also acted on behalf of Holden and Princeton in the Statehouse, announced he will not seek re-election in the fall.

"It's something I've been thinking about seriously for the last month or so. I just decided it was time," Antonioni said Monday.

There are personal and professional considerations to his decision. Antonioni is turning 50 in July and sees "other things I would like to do with my life" (he declined to elaborate).

He has long shared a law practice with his father, Attilio Antonioni, and he said now that his dad is retiring "I've got some responsibilities there."

"It was a hard decision," he added. "I love my job; it's rewarding in so many different ways and it's a way of life that's hard to give up. But having made the decision there's a sense of relief, like a great weight has come off of me."

Antonioni is now regarding with some bemusement the "frenzy" that his announcement has caused among North County politicians as they jockey for position to replace him. Among those speculated to be in the hunt are state representatives Jennifer Flanagan (D-Leominster), Harold Naughton (D-Clinton) and Stephen DiNatala (DFitchburg), and Leominster Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella, former Fitchburg major Dan Mylott, and former Lancaster selectman Steve Kerrigan, who ran for Congress last year.

Antonioni has already told Flanagan he will endorse her if she runs. Which doesn't mean he'd be gravely disappointed with whoever is elected to his seat.

"They're all friends of mine," he said with a laugh. "They're wonderful people, and I wish them all the best."

Once he's out of politics, Antonioni said, he's likely out for good.

"I guess you never say never, but it's pretty unlikely [he'd return]," he said. In fact, he specifically squashed an erroneous report in another newspaper that he would be interested in running against Congressman John Olver. "Not true," he said

He's proud of his work on the Education Committee, where he spent 12 years as chairman and helped guide the state through shoals of reform and other challenges.

"We've still got our work cut out for us," he noted. "The school funding formula is hopelessly out of date and needs to be fixed."

Antonioni talks most passionately about his efforts toward improving the public's perception of mental health issues, including suicide prevention following the suicide of his brother John in 1999. In 2003, Antonioni went public with his own battles against depression at a vigil for the mentally ill in Fitchburg, his admission earning national coverage in Newsweek magazine. The heightened awareness brought about by his open discussion of his plight was purely positive, he said.

"It's probably the one thing in my 20 years I'm most proud of," he said.

"This was personal to me, not just another issue. It was real, and it let people know I experience life in the same way they do, experience the same ups and downs. I'm glad to talk about it, because it hits home with folks and breaks down the stigma."

He met a lot of good people on the road during his two decades - "I was blessed. I thank them for the opportunity to represent them" - and wishes he could work with a few more who have come to the fore in recent months. Antonioni said he was looking forward to partnering with newly elected Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong on initiatives to revitalize the city. "She's a very inspiring person. I'm sorry I won't be working more with her."

Otherwise, he's ready to go. "I leave with no regrets," he said. "I look forward to getting on with my life."